Grand Duke Oliver

Inside the Duke's Mansion in Kenyaza City.

Oliver Norton's entire body trembled, and his voice trembled.

As descendants of the Val Barbarians, the Norton Family is said to have the blood of giants. Grand Duke Oliver is also extraordinary; he is over two meters tall and has a light white beard.

But at this moment, his plump body, wrapped in luxurious robes, showed no trace of the barbarian's ferocity.

"What... what do we do? The Embers of the Burned Kingdom has invaded!"

"It's over, it's completely over!"

He never expected that the Embers of the Burned Kingdom would launch such a lightning attack on this place.

The Norton Duchy had been under the protection of the Bosque Duchy for a long time, Lionheart Knight Order were often stationed there. Few countries dared to attack it without considering its owner. After all, even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner. No one dared to provoke Bosque, the powerful ruler of the the North. This was also the reason why he dared to provoke them time and time again.

Now that the Lionheart Knight Order have been transferred away, most of the local army of the Norton Duchy has been deployed to the Trill Battle.

Just when the city's defenses were at their weakest, Dolo's Embers of the Burned Kin caught them off guard and directly captured Kenyaza City.

Duke Oliver looked at his adjutant beside him, and grabbed his shoulder as if he were a lifeline, shaking him violently.

"Quickly, Gader, go find Grand Duke Leo!"

"The Bosque Duchy must have a way!"

"Hurry, go quickly!"

But Gader looked utterly hopeless and didn't move.

Duke Oliver was furious upon seeing this. He shoved him to the ground and yelled, "Damn it, can't you understand human language? Go and contact Grand Duke Leo right now!"

"Now! Immediately!"

Gader collapsed to the ground, his voice heavy with grief:

"Lord Oliver, it's too late. They've already broken through. Bosque's reinforcements can't just grow wings and fly over to save us, can they?"

As the steward of the Norton Duchy, Gader had been pessimistic about the future ever since the defeat at the Trill Battle. This time, he earnestly advised Duke Oliver not to get involved in this mess, but Oliver, relying on the Bosque Duchy behind him, still sent over a hundred elite Fighter.

Oliver became even more enraged, grabbed Gader by the collar, lifted him up, and spat a mouthful of saliva at him.

"Then what should we do?"

Are we just going to wait here to die?

Gader tentatively suggested, "Maybe, maybe we can surrender."

Oliver slammed him to the ground, laughing angrily, "Maybe you can surrender, but do I still have that chance?"

"Don't forget that the Rackman Dynasty has been wiped out, and most of the nobles of the Lakman Duchy have been slaughtered. Do you think I, as the Duke of Norton and the ruler of the Duchy, would have the opportunity to surrender?"

He took the hand axe from his waist and held it in his hand, approaching step by step. His tall body almost blocked Gader's view, and the more he spoke, the more chilling his tone became.

Gader lay on the ground, seemingly sensing danger.

But he didn't panic. Instead, he seemed relieved. Then, a sarcastic smile suddenly appeared on his face, "Maybe you really do have a chance. After all, being a dog of the Bosque Duchy is still being a dog, and being a dog of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom is also being a dog—."

"Whoosh—"

Duke Oliver actually chopped off Gader's head, splattering blood all over his face.

"Hmph, shameful traitor."

He snorted coldly, his face becoming even more ferocious.

Duke Oliver knew very well that he had offended the Red Dragon many times, and given the Red Dragon's vengeful nature, it would never allow him to live.

He might even be dragged to the guillotine and face a so-called "trial," becoming a laughingstock, which is absolutely unacceptable to Oliver.

Duke Oliver glanced at his guards and said coldly, "This is what happens to those who try to surrender. Do you understand?"

The Frost Giant's bloodline seemed to be working its magic. He was holding Gader's head, panting heavily, his blood-stained face tinged with a pale blue. Combined with his towering height of over two meters, he truly resembled a fierce and savage Frost Giant.

The guards, whether out of fear or awe, nodded in agreement, not daring to utter a sound.

"."

"So what are you going to do next?"

After a long silence, the captain of the guard finally mustered up the courage to ask.

The commotion outside grew increasingly chaotic, with cries of agony and screams echoing throughout the city, and even the piercing sound of gunfire resounding throughout. Clearly, the army of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom had entered the city and begun killing the stubborn resistance; they wouldn't last much longer.

"Damn it."

"They managed to get through so quickly, what a bunch of useless trash."

Duke Oliver tossed aside Gader's unseeing head, his face grim as he pondered, a thick gloom seemingly veiled over his rugged features.

Suddenly, he remembered a story about the Norton Family, which had existed since the time when the Norton Family was the leader of the Val Barbarians. It had been passed down orally from generation to generation, and now, four hundred years later, people had even regarded it as a legend, and his father thought so too.

But the Red Dragon's retinue is coming soon; perhaps this is their last lifeline.

With that in mind, Oliver ordered, "Let's go to the Family Mausoleum."

"Yes, sir."

Oliver and his guards passed through a secret passage behind the Duke's Mansion and arrived at the Norton Family Mausoleum.

The cemetery is beautifully decorated, with flowers planted to symbolize the peace of the deceased.

The tombstones are engraved with exquisite inscriptions, bearing the names of the Norton Family ancestors and their epitaphs. The cemetery also contains many sizable underground burial chambers, providing a final resting place for each duke.

After hundreds of years of assimilation, the burial style of the Norton Family has become almost identical to that of the Northern Nobles.

"This is it."

"You may all leave now and wait for me at the door."

"Yes, sir."

The guards obeyed orders and stood watch at the entrance to the tomb.

Grand Duke Oliver then went to the largest tomb chamber and walked straight in.

The name engraved on it is that of the Norton Family ancestor, the first person to be given the surname "Norton" —Kavaha Norton.

"According to the description in the Secret Codex, this should be the case."

Following the steps in the family's Secret Codex, he used a dagger to cut his finger and dripped his blood into the groove in front of the Stone Coffin.

The strangely colored blood, reddish-white in color, immediately merged in, producing a subtle, icy fluctuation.

"Boom--"

With a deep, resounding thud, the hidden stone door slowly opened, revealing a deep, secret passage behind the Stone Coffin.

"As expected, it really is true."

"Everything in those records is true!"

Duke Oliver's eyes lit up, and he strode quickly into the secret passage.

The secret passage seemed to have been designed specifically for him; even with his height of over two meters, he could walk through it effortlessly.